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Fjordfiesta Sverre Fehn “Venezia 01”
Fjordfiesta, a leader in Norwegian design, is celebrated for its ability to merge timeless elegance with modern aesthetics. Their commitment to innovation and sustainability has solidified their place as a key player in the design world.
Recently, they undertook a unique project: reviving Sverre Fehn’s Venezia 01 Armchair. Designed in 1962 but never mass-produced, this minimalist masterpiece remained a dream until Fjordfiesta stepped in to bring it to life more than six decades later.
Background
The Venezia 01 Armchair is a remarkable piece of design history. Only two prototypes were ever made, originally placed in Villa Norrköping before being moved by Fehn to Villa Damman in Oslo. Despite his ambition to mass-produce the chair, Fehn probably abandoned the project due to the high costs and complexity of its design.
Fjordfiesta’s mission was clear: to honor Fehn’s vision by creating a modern, mass-producible version of the Venezia 01. However, they quickly encountered some design hurdles - the main one being the shape and the connection point of the legs. To overcome these challenges, Fjordfiesta turned to us for technical expertise.
The start of the project
Our collaboration with Fjordfiesta began with a comprehensive technical analysis to determine whether current technologies and resources could support the chair’s production. As mentioned above, the project mainly focused on solving one key problem: the intricate design and connection points of the metal legs.
Our contributions:
Development of technical solutions
We explored various technical solutions for the leg connections, leveraging modern engineering tools to propose designs that were both functional and true to Fehn’s original vision.
Finite element method (FEM) strength analysis
To ensure the chair’s structural integrity, we performed FEM analysis on different materials. This allowed us to identify the most suitable materials that could withstand stress while maintaining the chair’s sleek aesthetic.
Manufacturing analysis
We evaluated various materials and surface finishing techniques to find the optimal balance between quality, cost and sustainability.
Supplier sourcing and prototype testing
We assisted with initial supplier sourcing and carried out testing on the initial prototypes.
Results
The result of this collaboration is a stunning, high-quality Venezia 01 Armchair that seamlessly blends modern functionality with Fehn’s original minimalist design. The chair is not only durable and comfortable but also pays homage to its architectural roots, offering a piece of history for contemporary audiences.
Through this partnership, Fjordfiesta successfully revived an iconic design. Together, we brought a visionary’s dream to life.